Ecotoxicity and screening level ecotoxicological risk assessment of five antimicrobial agents: triclosan, triclocarban, resorcinol, phenoxyethanol and p-thymol

• Published in: Journal of applied toxicology Vol. 33; no. 11; pp. 1222 - 1229
• Main Authors: Tamura, Ikumi, Kagota, Kei-ichiro, Yasuda, Yusuke, Yoneda, Saori, Morita, Junpei, Nakada, Norihide, Kameda, Yutaka, Kimura, Kumiko, Tatarazako, Norihisa, Yamamoto, Hiroshi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.11.2013; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: Algae; Animals; Anti-Infective Agents - chemistry; Anti-Infective Agents - toxicity; Antimicrobial agents; Carbanilides - chemistry; Carbanilides - toxicity; Ceriodaphnia dubia; Chlorophyta - drug effects; Chlorophyta - growth & development; Daphnia - drug effects; Daphnia - growth & development; ecological risk; Ecological risk assessment; Ecology; ecotoxicity; Ecotoxicology; Ethylene Glycols - chemistry; Ethylene Glycols - toxicity; Fish; Freshwater; green algae; Molecular Structure; phenoxyethanol; Reproduction - drug effects; Resorcinols - chemistry; Resorcinols - toxicity; Risk; Risk Assessment; Thymol - chemistry; Thymol - toxicity; Toxic; Toxicity; Toxicity Tests, Acute; Toxicity Tests, Chronic; Toxicology; triclocarban; triclosan; Triclosan - chemistry; Triclosan - toxicity; Water Pollutants, Chemical - toxicity; Ceriodaphnia dubia; green algae; phenoxyethanol; antimicrobial agents; ecological risk; triclosan; ecotoxicity; triclocarban
• ISSN: 0260-437X; 1099-1263; 1099-1263
• DOI: 10.1002/jat.2771

ABSTRACT Acute and chronic (or sub‐chronic) toxicity of five selected antimicrobial agents, including triclosan (TCS), triclocarban (TCC), resorcinol, phenoxyethanol and p‐thymol, was investigated using the conventional three‐aquatic‐organism battery. These compounds are widely used in cosmetics and other personal care products and their ecological risk has recently become a significant concern. As results of toxicity tests, TCS was found to be most strongly toxic for green algae [e.g. 72 h no observed effect concentration (NOEC) of 0.50 µg l−1] among the selected compounds, followed by TCC, while TCC was more toxic or similar to TCS for Daphnia and fish (e.g. Daphnia 8 day NOEC of 1.9 µg l−1). Having compared the predicted no effect concentration (PNEC) determined from the toxicity data with measured environmental concentrations (MEC), the preliminary ecological risk assessment of these five antimicrobials was conducted. The MEC/PNEC ratios of TCS and TCC were over 1 for some monitoring data, especially in urban streams with watershed areas without sewage service coverage, and their potential risk for green algae and Daphnia might be at a level of concern, although the contribution of TCS/TCC on the total toxicity of the those sites needs to be further investigated. For the three other antimicrobials, the maximum MEC/PNEC ratio for resorcinol was 0.1–1, but those for phenoxyethanol and p‐thymol were <0.1 and their risk to aquatic organisms is limited, although the additive effects with TCS, TCC and other antimicrobial agents, such as parabens, need to be further examined in future studies. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Acute and chronic (or sub‐chronic) toxicity of five selected antimicrobial agents, triclosan, triclocarban, resorcinol, phenoxyethanol and p‐thymol, was investigated using green algae, daphnia and fish. Having compared the predicted no effect concentration (PNEC) determined from the toxicity data with measured environmental concentrations (MEC), a preliminary ecological risk assessment of these antimicrobials was conducted. The MEC/PNEC ratios were >1 for triclosan and triclocarban for some sites but were <0.1 for the other compounds in most cases.